Natasha Harding

Natasha Harding

Harding (centre, in red)
Personal information
Full nameNatasha Marie Harding[1]
Date of birth2 March 1989
Place of birthCaerphilly, Wales
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current team
Manchester City
Number40
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2007–2012Cardiff City
2012–2014Bristol Academy
2015–Manchester City
National team‡
2008–Wales[2]17(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 March 2012.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 September 2012

Natasha Marie Harding (born 2 March 1989) is a footballer who plays for the Welsh national women's team and Manchester City. Harding plays as a wide or central forward.

Club career

Harding began her career at Cardiff City and made her first–team debut in January 2007, during a 4–0 Welsh Women's Cup quarter final win over Newport Strikers. Harding came on as a second-half substitute for Gwennan Harries.[3] She subsequently represented the club in the 2007-08 UEFA Women's Cup.[4]

She went on to captain Cardiff City,[5] then joined Bristol Academy ahead of the 2012 FA WSL campaign. Bristol manager Mark Sampson said of Harding: "Tash will really bring another dimension to our forward play, a striker who can play off the shoulder and with great speed was something we were missing last season so it will give us far more variation to our play going forward."[6] At the end of the 2014 season Harding signed for the Washington Spirit,[7] but her move fell through over visa issues and she signed instead for Manchester City.[8]

International career

Harding played five times for the Wales Under–19 team in season 2007–08.[2] She made her senior international debut, aged 19, as a late substitute in a 2–0 defeat to Switzerland in Oberdorf on 8 May 2008.[9]

Harding scored her first goal for Wales on Wednesday 20 June in a UEFA Qualifying match against Israel in Wrexham. She went on to score a hat-trick in the 5-0 win that evening, to cap a fine evening both personally and for her Country. [10]

As a student at UWIC, Harding was called–up to represent Great Britain at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 运动员信息 (in Chinese). Universiade Shenzhen 2011. Archived from the original on 9 Jul 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "International Teams — Natasha Harding". Football Association of Wales. Archived from the original on 2009-03-21. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  3. ↑ "Strikers no match for defending champions". South Wales Echo. 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  4. ↑ "Natasha Harding". UEFA. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  5. ↑ "Harding 'ecstatic' with Cardiff City Ladies promotion". BBC Sport. 2011-05-11. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  6. ↑ "Vixens announce new signings". Bristol Academy WFC. 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  7. ↑ "Natasha Harding leaves Bristol Academy for Washington Spirit". BBC. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Natasha Harding: Manchester City Women sign Wales forward". BBC. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Battling Wales edged out by Swiss". Women's Soccer Scene. 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  10. ↑ "Wales 5-0 Israel". Football Association of Wales. 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
  11. ↑ "Harding among best of British off to China; FOOTBALL". South Wales Echo. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2012-03-24.

External links